Melanoma can be diagnosed by identifying nests of cells on the skin surface. Understanding the processes that drive nest formation is important as these processes could be potential targets for new cancer drugs. Cell proliferation and cell migration are two potential mechanisms that could conceivably drive melanoma nest formation. However, it is unclear which one of these two putative mechanisms plays a dominant role in driving nest formation.
We use a suite of three-dimensional (3D) experiments in human skin tissue and a parallel series of 3D individual-based simulations to explore whether cell migration or cell proliferation plays a dominant role in nest formation. In the experiments we measure nest formation in populations of irradiated (non-proliferative) and non-irradiated (proliferative) melanoma cells, cultured together with primary keratinocyte and fibroblast cells on a 3D experimental human skin model. Results show that nest size depends on initial cell number and is driven primarily by cell proliferation rather than cell migration.
Nest size depends on cell number, and is driven primarily by cell proliferation rather than cell migration. All experimental results are consistent with simulation data from a 3D individual based model (IBM) of cell migration and cell proliferation.

Attention Score in Context

This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 8. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 15 January 2019.

All research outputs

#2,340,384

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Outputs from BMC Systems Biology

#108

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Outputs of similar age

#68,311

of 276,490 outputs

Outputs of similar age from BMC Systems Biology

#5

of 31 outputs

Altmetric has tracked 14,142,900 research outputs across all sources so far. Compared to these this one has done well and is in the 83rd percentile: it's in the top 25% of all research outputs ever tracked by Altmetric.

So far Altmetric has tracked 1,092 research outputs from this source. They receive a mean Attention Score of 3.4. This one has done particularly well, scoring higher than 90% of its peers.

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We're also able to compare this research output to 31 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has done well, scoring higher than 83% of its contemporaries.